Nissan NV200 electric cab to hit the streets of London in 2014

By Gene Ryan Briones on 08/06/2012 10:46 PST

Nissan is widely known for its GT-R sports car but the Japanese car maker has actually more up its sleeve. One example is the van-like Nissan NV200 that has the distinguishing features of a traditional London cab. Poised to challenge London’s black cabs two years from now, Nissan says that its NV200 can eliminate 20% of the capital’s exhaust pollution. The Nissan NV200 will be manufactured in Barcelona and is expected to go out in public by 2014. Nissan says that the NV200 has a range of up to 200 miles a day on a single charge.

London Mayor Boris Johnson has already promised that a zero-emission taxi fleet will be in service by 2020. “The ball was in the manufacturers’ court. Now it’s with the cities to see who can get the infrastructure in place. Charging is the big question. This needs collaboration with government and the authorities to get the range you need,” said Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President at Nissan. “The ENV200 will have a range of 200 miles but that relies on having chargers in the right place. There’s a lot of work to be done.”